Cookie-gate lives on for LeBron James and Heat. Also, Erik Spoelstra's Jimmy Butler reflections
LeBron James' love for chocolate chip cookies has become a popular topic of conversation lately.
It all started when Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade went on Lou Williams' 'The Underground Lounge' podcast and shared a story from James' time with the Heat. Wade joked 'the first moment when I had inkling that LeBron might not be back' came when the Heat banned James' beloved chocolate chip cookies from the team plane.
'One thing you don't do is [expletive] with LeBron's cookies,' Wade said during a recent appearance on the show. 'No, no, no, this is serious. He loves chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies and ice cream, he loves. LeBron walks on the plane with a bag of food. One bag is all cookies and the other bags are what his chef has prepared for him to eat.'
James confirmed the story during his extended appearance on 'The Pat McAfee Show' this week.
'It's a true story,' James, 40, said on the show. 'Now, it wasn't like [Heat president Pat Riley] was on the plane and I was about to get my cookies and Riles snatched them out my hand. You know how stories can kind of build to Sasquatch at some point. But there was a time, everybody knows I love chocolate chip cookies. It's like my biggest vice. It was literally the plane that we were getting on, the ladies on the plane were making chocolate chip cookies. So they were making them and bringing them because we had the same ladies all the time.
'They would bring me two cookies and I would get to gambling with the guys, and I got my cookies and we're good. And then one flight, I got on and I looked at them and they looked at me. And I'm like, oh that look didn't look familiar. And I asked like, 'Do you have the cookies?' They were like, 'No, no more cookies on these flights.' And we all knew where it came from. I looked at D-Wade and D-Wade looked at me, and he was like basically without even saying it, he was like: '[Expletive] Riles has done it again. Riles strikes again.' I was like, 'Damn.''
Cookies were taken off the Heat's team flight in the middle of the Big 3 era, according to a source, but Riley was not directly responsible for their removal. In fact, cookies returned to the Heat's plane shortly after and are still available on team flights to this day.
James spent four seasons with the Heat from 2010 to 2014, winning two NBA championships with the organization in 2012 and 2013 in four NBA Finals appearances. He also was selected as the NBA's Most Valuable Player two times while with the Heat.
James left the Heat as a free agent in 2014 to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers — the team he left to join the Heat in 2010. He has since joined the Los Angeles Lakers and is in his 22nd NBA season.
'One thing about Riles, he don't give a [expletive] about nothing,' James said on 'The Pat McAfee Show.' 'Listen, if it ain't about that Heat shield and covering that Heat culture, he don't.'
JIMMY MEMORIES
Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors finally left South Florida on Thursday after their long stay in Miami.
Before the Heat routed the Warriors in Butler's return to Kaseya Center on Tuesday, Spoelstra reflected on Butler's five-plus seasons with the Heat.
The ending was ugly, as Butler feuded with the Heat ahead of being traded to the Warriors in early February. But Spoelstra will remember the good times he shared with Butler.
'When we get past all of this, I said this the other night, this league is a league of change,' Spoelstra said, with the Heat closing its five-game homestand on Thursday night against the Atlanta Hawks. 'It's a league of emotion. When you get past it, years beyond, you'll look back at this chapter. That's what it was, it was a 5.5-year chapter. That's equivalent to when Pat was coaching with the Lakers probably to like a 10-year chapter. It's a transient league now. So that was a pretty long chapter.
'There were a lot of different highs and lows with that. But yeah, I'll look back at it fondly. I will. I have a picture of he and I from the bubble that I don't know who took it, we didn't know they took it. I'll definitely look back on that, those were extraordinary times and those are memories that we'll all keep.'
INJURY REPORT
The Heat listed Alec Burks (lower back discomfort) and Duncan Robinson (lower back pain) as questionable for Thursday's matchup against the Hawks.
The Heat remains without Josh Christopher (G League), Keshad Johnson (G League), Nikola Jovic (broken right hand), Dru Smith (left Achilles surgery) and Isaiah Stevens (G League).
Hawks star guard Trae Young (right Achilles tendinitis) is probable to play against the Heat.
The Hawks ruled out Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder surgery), Clint Capela (left fourth metacarpal ligament sprain), Jalen Johnson (left shoulder surgery), Larry Nance Jr. (right medial femoral condyle fracture), Daeqwon Plowden (G League), Jacob Toppin (G League) and Keaton Wallace (right shoulder AC sprain).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
17 minutes ago
- CNN
NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title
The 2025 NBA playoffs have been ones to remember with shock results, historical big comebacks and the traditional heavyweights struggling. And at the end of a thrilling postseason, it is two teams with vastly different stories in the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will face off in the best-of-seven series for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the chance to lift aloft a championship banner in their home arena. Both have had grueling journeys to reach this spot, so here's everything you need to know. The NBA Finals begin with Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City with the Thunder having home-court advantage because of their better regular season record. All games will be broadcast on ABC. Here's the full NBA Finals schedule: · Game 1: Pacers @ Thunder, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 2: Pacers @ Thunder, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET · Game 3: Thunder @ Pacers, June 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 4: Thunder @ Pacers, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 5 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 6 (if needed): Thunder @ Pacers, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 7 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET The Thunder's and Pacers' route to the NBA Finals couldn't have been more different. The Thunder spent the majority of the regular season atop the Western Conference standings and were many peoples' picks for the title. They are led by this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and have a deep rotation filled with productive role players who have stepped up in the biggest moments. On the other hand, the Pacers had a good but not great regular season, not challenging for the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and even having a sub-.500 record in January. Yes, they have two elite players in Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but causing a stir in the latter stages of the NBA postseason was on nobody's playoffs predictions. But here we are. Both teams had to endure their ups and downs throughout the playoffs. The Thunder went to a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals and experienced a 42-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals before their star-power shone through. The Pacers, meanwhile, have made big comebacks a part of their DNA, shocking the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round in five games before coming through a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Knicks which became an all-time classic, such was the level of drama in most games. While the Thunder are many people's favorites to earn their first NBA ring since moving from Seattle, in particular with home-court advantage – they had a league-best 43-7 home record this season – Indiana has made the impossible possible throughout the postseason. And led by head coach Rick Carlisle – who coached the Dallas Mavericks to a shock NBA title victory over the heavily-favored Miami Heat in 2011 – nothing is off the cards. Throughout the postseason, the two Finals contenders have homed in on what makes them successful. For the Thunder, it is their elite defense while for the Pacers, it is their explosive offense. OKC's deep rotation is full of capable defensive players, highlighted by their two All-NBA Defensive team stars – Lu Dort on the first team and Jalen Williams on the second. But even outside of those, they have contributors who have had big moments this playoffs. Chet Holmgren has provided key blocks at certain points and Alex Caruso turned into a key defender of three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in the Nuggets series. On the other side, Indiana has made a high-scoring offense a key part of its game. Most of it revolves around Haliburton, with his pin-point passing able to set up his teammates in good spots while Siakam provides a physical presence inside. Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game this postseason as Indiana has outgunned many of its opponents; in the 2025 postseason so far, the Pacers are 12-0 when they score 114 or more points but 0-4 when they don't hit the mark. 'When you get to this point of the season, it's two teams and it's one goal and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,' Carlisle said. 'And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long – with capital letters in the word 'dominant.' 'Defensively, they're historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It's two teams that have similar structures, slightly different styles.' The fate of this year's NBA title might revolve around one end of the court and whether Indiana can break down a stout OKC. The NBA Finals could be defined by the two star guards on display – Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Haliburton for the Pacers. Both were traded away from their first teams – Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers and Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings – but have blossomed with their new teams. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's MVP this season, beating out Jokić for his first award, after leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. The 26-year-old is arguably one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the NBA at the moment, but it has been a long road to get to this point. 'It's been a roller coaster,' Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this week. 'I had nights where I thought I wasn't good at basketball, had nights where I thought I was the best player in the world before I was. It's been ups and downs. My mentality to try to stay level through it all really helped me. Once I figured that out, I really saw jumps in my game.' He added: 'All the moments I got, like, cut, traded, slighted, overlooked. But also all the joy, all the things that my family has comforted me in, all the life lessons. Everything that's turned me into the man and the human being that I am today.' It's been a similar journey for Haliburton, who had played second-fiddle in Sacramento to De'Aaron Fox. His trade to Indiana allowed him to express himself, and it's seen him turn into one of the best playmakers in the NBA. 'This is a franchise that took a chance on me, saw something that other people didn't see in me,' Haliburton said of the Pacers. 'Sometimes, I think they saw more in me than I saw in myself.' That doesn't mean he's universally loved around the league though, with The Athletic conducting an anonymous survey of NBA players who voted Haliburton as the league's most overrated player. Though his play and game-winners this postseason have surely changed some of those opinions. For the Thunder or Pacers to have any chance of winning this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it will likely rest on their star guards' shoulders to get them to the finish line.
CNN
20 minutes ago
- CNN
NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title
The 2025 NBA playoffs have been ones to remember with shock results, historical big comebacks and the traditional heavyweights struggling. And at the end of a thrilling postseason, it is two teams with vastly different stories in the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will face off in the best-of-seven series for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the chance to lift aloft a championship banner in their home arena. Both have had grueling journeys to reach this spot, so here's everything you need to know. The NBA Finals begin with Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City with the Thunder having home-court advantage because of their better regular season record. All games will be broadcast on ABC. Here's the full NBA Finals schedule: · Game 1: Pacers @ Thunder, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 2: Pacers @ Thunder, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET · Game 3: Thunder @ Pacers, June 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 4: Thunder @ Pacers, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 5 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 6 (if needed): Thunder @ Pacers, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 7 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET The Thunder's and Pacers' route to the NBA Finals couldn't have been more different. The Thunder spent the majority of the regular season atop the Western Conference standings and were many peoples' picks for the title. They are led by this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and have a deep rotation filled with productive role players who have stepped up in the biggest moments. On the other hand, the Pacers had a good but not great regular season, not challenging for the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and even having a sub-.500 record in January. Yes, they have two elite players in Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but causing a stir in the latter stages of the NBA postseason was on nobody's playoffs predictions. But here we are. Both teams had to endure their ups and downs throughout the playoffs. The Thunder went to a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals and experienced a 42-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals before their star-power shone through. The Pacers, meanwhile, have made big comebacks a part of their DNA, shocking the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round in five games before coming through a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Knicks which became an all-time classic, such was the level of drama in most games. While the Thunder are many people's favorites to earn their first NBA ring since moving from Seattle, in particular with home-court advantage – they had a league-best 43-7 home record this season – Indiana has made the impossible possible throughout the postseason. And led by head coach Rick Carlisle – who coached the Dallas Mavericks to a shock NBA title victory over the heavily-favored Miami Heat in 2011 – nothing is off the cards. Throughout the postseason, the two Finals contenders have homed in on what makes them successful. For the Thunder, it is their elite defense while for the Pacers, it is their explosive offense. OKC's deep rotation is full of capable defensive players, highlighted by their two All-NBA Defensive team stars – Lu Dort on the first team and Jalen Williams on the second. But even outside of those, they have contributors who have had big moments this playoffs. Chet Holmgren has provided key blocks at certain points and Alex Caruso turned into a key defender of three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in the Nuggets series. On the other side, Indiana has made a high-scoring offense a key part of its game. Most of it revolves around Haliburton, with his pin-point passing able to set up his teammates in good spots while Siakam provides a physical presence inside. Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game this postseason as Indiana has outgunned many of its opponents; in the 2025 postseason so far, the Pacers are 12-0 when they score 114 or more points but 0-4 when they don't hit the mark. 'When you get to this point of the season, it's two teams and it's one goal and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,' Carlisle said. 'And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long – with capital letters in the word 'dominant.' 'Defensively, they're historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It's two teams that have similar structures, slightly different styles.' The fate of this year's NBA title might revolve around one end of the court and whether Indiana can break down a stout OKC. The NBA Finals could be defined by the two star guards on display – Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Haliburton for the Pacers. Both were traded away from their first teams – Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers and Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings – but have blossomed with their new teams. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's MVP this season, beating out Jokić for his first award, after leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. The 26-year-old is arguably one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the NBA at the moment, but it has been a long road to get to this point. 'It's been a roller coaster,' Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this week. 'I had nights where I thought I wasn't good at basketball, had nights where I thought I was the best player in the world before I was. It's been ups and downs. My mentality to try to stay level through it all really helped me. Once I figured that out, I really saw jumps in my game.' He added: 'All the moments I got, like, cut, traded, slighted, overlooked. But also all the joy, all the things that my family has comforted me in, all the life lessons. Everything that's turned me into the man and the human being that I am today.' It's been a similar journey for Haliburton, who had played second-fiddle in Sacramento to De'Aaron Fox. His trade to Indiana allowed him to express himself, and it's seen him turn into one of the best playmakers in the NBA. 'This is a franchise that took a chance on me, saw something that other people didn't see in me,' Haliburton said of the Pacers. 'Sometimes, I think they saw more in me than I saw in myself.' That doesn't mean he's universally loved around the league though, with The Athletic conducting an anonymous survey of NBA players who voted Haliburton as the league's most overrated player. Though his play and game-winners this postseason have surely changed some of those opinions. For the Thunder or Pacers to have any chance of winning this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it will likely rest on their star guards' shoulders to get them to the finish line.
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double?
2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double? Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder's path to the Finals With elite defense and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on their side, are the Thunder poised to dominate the NBA Finals? Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already won the 2025 NBA MVP award. Is a Finals MVP next for the All-Star guard? Gilgeous-Alexander is the betting favorite to hoist the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player as the Thunder set to face the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. If he's able to accomplish the feat, Gilgeous-Alexander would become the 11th player in NBA history to win the league MVP and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Willis Reed (1969-70), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71), Moses Malone (1982-83), Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86), Magic Johnson (1986-87), Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94), Shaquille O'Neal (1999-00), Tim Duncan (2002-03) and LeBron James (2011-12, 2012-13). Here's a look at the latest NBA Finals MVP odds, in addition to the full NBA Finals schedule and how to watch: NBA Finals MVP odds *All odds via BetMGM, as of Wednesday Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-625) Tyrese Haliburton (+700) Pascal Siakam (+1600) Jalen Williams (+3000) Chet Holmgren (+8000) Myles Turner (+25000) Luguentz Dort (+25000) Andrew Nembhard (+35000) Alex Caruso (+50000) How to watch the NBA Finals The 2025 NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers will air on ABC. Fans can stream it on Fubo (offers a free trial) and SlingTV. Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo NBA Finals 2025: Schedule, time, TV channel, live streaming All times Eastern. *-if necessary Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16 : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 6, June 19 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.* The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
